The Creative Nature of Friends Welcome
Friends Welcome offers a space for the local community to come together and partake in crafting activities to connect with others, combat loneliness and gain a sense of well-being! Based at the 1620s House and Garden Barn, a warm group of volunteers provide a friendly welcome to all. Anyone from the locality can join in with the free crafts on offer as well as enjoy soup and a hot drink.
This group is primarily for those local to the area and invites people to discover what is on their doorstep! Over the period the group has been meeting, they have welcomed many locals new to the site, creating a welcoming place for people to go where they are guaranteed a friendly face and a chat.
Attendees are encouraged to join in with craft activities which change each week. This offers people the chance to try something new or share their pre-existing skills with others. Examples of crafts they have engaged in vary from creating gonks to colouring to wire art to cross stitch to name a few!
The group is pulling their craft skills together to create a wall hanging for the site. Participants are using skills old and new to design an image of the house itself, surrounded by nature-filled gardens. Participants have offered their skills in felting, quilting, and knitting to add to this masterpiece. Over the next few sessions, the group will be adding to this project, to be pulled together by the group lead Lynn. We are really excited to see the final outcome!
Feedback from attendees:
“It has given me purpose. I am less isolated it has given me the confidence to engage further with people outside of the group.”
“This venue is strongly needed. I am one of a group of six friends who love coming here every Wednesday, we have made more friends and enjoy doing crafts and learning about crafts we haven’t done. It is so friendly and welcoming, it has been our saviour as some of us have been depressed since covid”
“It’s brought me out of my shell, the first time I came I was on my own and timid but now I have made friends”
“It has got me out of the house and mixing with the community, it is just me at the house so it helps me to stop being lonely!”
“It is an invaluable service giving people independence, enriches self esteem and makes you feel included”
“I’ve really enjoyed the social days. We’ve made friends, enjoyed the refreshments, lovely friendly staff and volunteers. Thanks to all involved”
“Thoroughly enjoy coming here, made new friends and have enjoyed the crafts. The provision of food is wonderful particularly for the elderly during the winter months and social climate nowadays”
Volunteers said:
“I feel proud to be part of the team that makes this happen. Knowing I can make a difference to people who live in my neighbourhood I know are struggling makes me happy.”
Interested in finding out more about the sessions? Check out the 1620s House and Garden website for further details!
Friends Welcome is possible through partnership and funding from North West Leicestershire District Council.